Releasable hinge latch for bed frames



Nov. 6, 1962 J. M. GIANNINI, SR

RELEASABLE HINGE LATCH FOR BED FRAMES Filed June 2, 1959 FIG. I

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV ENT OR JOEEPH M G/ANN/Nl, 55.

3,061,870 RELEASABLE HINGE LATCH FOR BED FRAMES Joseph M. Giannini, Sn, New Britain, Conn, assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 2, 1959, Ser. No. 817,627 3 Claims. (Cl. 16-177) This invention relates to beds of the type having a separate headboard and bed frame and is concerned more particularly to an improved releasable hinge latch which permits the frame and the headboard to be quickly and easily connected together or detached and also permits the frame or frames to be selectively pivotable relative to the headboard about one or both corners as desired.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combination hinge and latch for attaching a headboard to a bed frame so that the operation of connecting or disconnecting the frame from the headboard is greatly simplified and rendered more convenient and which at the same time provides a hinge so that the frame may be pivoted relative to the headboard.

it is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved releasable hinge latch that is self-latching when the bed frame is brought into latching position with respect to the headboard, which positively locks the frame to the headboard during normal operation and which is releasable by the user in a simple and convenient manner without disassembling or dismantling any of the parts.

it is a further object of this invention to provide such a releasable hinge latch for securing a bed frame to a headboard which is durable and foolproof in operation and yet simple and economical to manufacture and install.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating the use of the hinge latches of my invention with two bed frames and a common headboard;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the hinge latch with the bed frame and headboard being shown partially in phantom;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge latch;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the hinge latch in assembled or latched position; and

FIG. 5 is a cross section view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown by way of illustration, a bed comprising a headboard and a pair of twin bed frames 12 and 13. Each frame 12 and 13 is generally rectangular and is provided with suitable supporting casters or legs 14 at each corner. In the illustrated embodiment, each frame is secured to the headboard adjacent the outer corners by the releasable hinge latches 16 and 17 so that the frames can be pivoted to the dotted line position to permit cleaning, making of the beds, etc. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is also suited for use with a single bed frame so that the frame can be selectively pivoted relative to the headboard about either corner thereof or easily removed from the headboard for cleaning, moving, etc.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, it is seen that releasable hinge latch 17 is attached between the end of the frame 3,061,870 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 13 near its corner and the headboard 10 and comprises a first generally U-shaped bracket 20 attached to headboard 10 by fasteners such as bolts (not shown) passed through slots 22 and a second generally U-shaped bracket 25 attached to bed frame 13 by similar fasteners which may extend through apertures 27. Bracket member 20 is provided at its opposite ends with a pair of outwardly extending arms 28 and 29 which are positioned in vertical alignment when bracket 20 is secured to headboard 10. Each arm has fixed thereto a pivot pin 30 positioned in alignment with and extending towards the pivot pin mounted in the other arm. The outer ends of the arms 28 and 29 are preferably curved or flared outwardly as shown in the drawings.

The second or bed frame bracket 25 is also provided with a pair of outwardly extending arms 36 and 37 and the vertical distance between arms 36 and 37 is slightly less than that between the arms 28 and 29 so as to permit nesting engagement of the brackets 20 and 25 as shown in FIG. 4. Arms 36 and 37 are provided at their outer ends with slots or notches 40 and 41 which are dimensioned to receive the pivot pins 30 when brackets 20 and 25 are brought into nesting relationship. Outer ends 43 and 44 of bracket 20 are outwardly flared as previously mentioned to define guiding surfaces which facilitate proper alignment of bracket 25 relative to bracket 20 during initial assembly even though a rug or similar object disposed underneath the supporting legs of the frame 13 may cause some misalignment.

In order to establish effective holding or locking engagement between frame bracket 25 and headboard bracket 20 when pins 30 are in slots 40 and 41 and to complete the hinge structure, there is provided a latch 48 of generally U-shaped form having. a pair of latch members 50 and 51 at each end pivotally mounted on arms 36 and 37 of bracket 25 by stud 60. As most clearly seen in FIG. 5, each latch member (latch member 50 is illustrated) is generally C-shaped so as to pro vide an arcuate bearing surface 54 which, when the latch is in latching position, closes the outer end of the notch and with the notch provides -a generally circular aperture in which the pins can turn. The studs 60, being aligned with the slots 40, 41, prevent opening movement of the latch members when a force is exerted tending to separate brackets 20 and 25 and thus precludes inadvertent separation of the frame and headboard.

The straight edges 63 of the latch members 50, 51 and the longitudinal member 62 engage with upright portion 64 of bracket 25 to determine the latched position of latching members 50 and 5 1. Spring 66 mounted on the stud 60 of latch member 50 and with its ends engaging the upright portion 64 and the member 62 urges the latch into latched position.

The member 62 is provided with a laterally extending grip or handle 72 to permit the user to conveniently pivot the latch 48- against the force of spring 66 into a position where the latch members 50, 51 clear the slots 40 and 41 in the arms 36 and 37 to permit easy disengagement of pivot pins 30 and bracket 20 from bracket 25.

To facilitate insertion of pivot pins 30 into latching engagement With latch members 50 and 51, each latch member is provided with a cam surface 75 which is inclined inwardly towards the respective slot when the latch member is in the latched position. Thus, as frame 1-3 and bracket 25 are moved towards headboard 10 and bracket 20, each pivot pin 30 engages a cam surface 75 to pivot latch members 50 and 51 outwardly to permit inser-tion of pins 30 into the slots 40 and 41. After the pins are positioned within the slots, spring 66 pivots the latching member into the position shown in FIG. 5 thereby to effectively lock the brackets in pivotal engagement with each other.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that each releasable hinge latch functions effectively as an effective and convenient means to attach the frame to the headboard and also as a hinge when the latching members are in the latched position thereby to permit pivoting of that corner of the frame relative to the headboard. Disengagement of the latching members from the pivot pins to permit separation of the frame and headboard is also simple and convenient and does not require any disassembly of the parts.

Although the foregoing description refers to bracket as being mounted on headboard 10 and bracket be ing mounted on frame 1 3, it is to be noted that the mounting of these brackets can be reversed without impairing the operation of my improved releasable hinge.

It is therefore seen that I have provided an improved and economical, releasable hinge latch for use in fastening bed frames to headboards in a positive manner and with structure that is self-latching but easily released to permit movement of the frame relative to the headboard.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure abovedescribed will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

l. A releasable hinge latch for use between the frame and headboard members of a bed comprising a generally U-shaped first bracket having a base portion provided with means for attaching the bracket vertically to a bed member, said first bracket having spaced apart arms with perpendicularly extending pin means connected to each arm, a generally U-shaped second bracket having a base portion provided with means for attaching the second bracket vertically to a second bed member, said second bracket having spaced apart arms provided with openended notches for reception of the pin means of the first bracket, said arms of the second bracket being disposed in overlapping relationship within the arms of the first bracket with the pin means disposed in the notches, and latching means comprising a generally U-shaped member disposed in nesting relationship between said first and second brackets and having spaced apart latching arms mounted on pivots on the arms of the second bracket with the pivots in alignment with the notches, whereby forces tending to separate said brackets will not move the latching arms to unlatching position, the free ends of said latching arms having portions extending transversely across the open ends of the notches when the latching arms are in latching position, and spring means biasing the latching means to latching position.

2. A releasable hinge latch for use between the frame and headboard members of a bed comprising a generally U-shaped first bracket having a base portion provided with means for attaching the bracket vertically to a bed member, said first bracket having spaced apart arms with perpendicularly extending pin means connected to each arm, a generally U-shaped second bracket having a base portion provided with means for attaching the second bracket vertically to a second bed member, said second bracket having spaced apart arms provided with open-ended notches for reception of the pin means of the first bracket, said' arms of the second bracket being disposed in overlapping relationship within the arms of the first bracket with the pin means disposed in the notches, and latching means comprising a generally U-shaped latching member having spaced apart latching arms, said U-shaped latching member being nested within the second bracket with the latching arms pivotally connected to the arms of the second bracket intermediate their ends, the free ends of said latching arms having portions extending transversely across the open end of the notches when the latching arms are in latching position, said latching members having cam surfaces facing outwardly of the notches and engageable by said pin means to pivot said latching members into unlatching position to permit entry of the pin means into said notches, said second bracket and the U-shaped latching members having interengaging portions acting as a stop for the latching member when the latching memher is moved to latching position, thereby limiting movement of the latching member inwardly of the notch against the pin, and spring means biasing the latching means to latching position.

3. A releasable hinge latch for use between the frame and headboard members of a bed comprising a generally U-shaped first bracket having a base portion provided with means for attaching the bracket vertically to a bed member, said first bracket having spaced apart arms, each arm being provided with a perpendicularly extending pivot pin adjacent the end thereof, a generally U-shaped second bracket having a base portion provided with means for attaching the second bracket vertically to a second bed member, said second bracket having spaced apart arms disposed in overlapping relationship within the arms of the first bracket and having open-ended notches receiving the pivot pins of the first bracket, the ends of the arms of the first bracket being flared outwardly to facilitate placement of the brackets in nesting relationship, and latching means comprising a generally U-shaped latching member having latching arms nesting between said first and second brackets, pivot means in alignment with the notches pivotally connecting the latching arms to the arms of the second bracket, the free ends of said latching arms extending transversely across the open end of the notches when the latching arms are in locking position, said U-shaped latching member having a laterally projecting center portion for use as a handle to move the latching arms to unlatching position, and spring means biasing the U-shaped latching member to latching position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,000,254 George Aug. 8, 1911 2,120,103 Linde June 7, 1938 2,312,184 =Neunherz Feb. 23, 1943 2,579,206 Sands et al Dec. 18, 1951 2,674,468 Boll et al Apr. 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 740,405 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1955 

